Well, I had surgery on March 5. It was a double discectomy and fusion between C5-6 and C6-7. There were some complications. The C6-7 nerve was so excited about being released from the pressure that it ‘fired’ for quite a few minutes after the spur was eliminated. Then, as they were suturing me up, it fired again for about five minutes. As the surgeon said the next day, “I’ve never seen anything like it!!” And she’s been doing neck and brain surgeries for 18 years.

So, anyway, back to the recovery room. When I woke up, my left hand was completely paralyzed. There was nothing I could do to make my fingers move. That was pretty scary. It reminded me of maybe how a stroke victim feels. The next day I could move my fingers a little bit, so we knew things were on their way back. At this point, one month later, I can type a little with my left hand. It still hurts, and two fingers are still numb. But, I keep exercising it. And I’m functioning. I’m driving. I’m getting to work. I can get myself to singing rehearsal. Hey! I can still sing! I asked them to be careful with the tubes they were going to put down my throat before the surgery. They did a good job. I was able to sing the day after the surgery, and it was a couple days before I could swallow solid foods without gagging. I also have a kind of neuropathy on my right side. Can’t feel pain or temperature. At this point I don’t know if it’s from the nerve thingy, or the medications I’m still taking. My physical therapist has a call in to the surgeon to see what might be going on.

So, diet-wise……..hmmmmm. I can’t say I’ve been very diligent. It seems that I’ve reverted back to a mostly B-nonnie diet. A lot of black dot avoids have come back. Eggs, yogurt, bananas, walnuts, almonds. Easy comfort foods for me. And, I’ve slipped back into coffee. It is such a help in getting things moving in the morning. I promise I’ll quit again. As soon as I’m off the pain meds. I promise!

It’s been quite a long month. Patience isn’t one of my strengths. It looks like I’ll be having some sort of surgery on my neck. I see a surgeon next week and will find out for sure. But, that’s the way the neurologist is leaning. Once I had gone through the prednisone series and the effects had all worn off, the pain came back just the same.

I’m getting more signs that I’m really an Explorer. I had my annual blood test done last week, and the experiment with shitake extract for lowering my cholesterol didn’t work. Total cholesterol was 265, Triglycerides = 176, HDL = 69, LDL = 161. The ratio comes out to 3.8. Shitake is a beneficial for B nonnies and a toxin for Explorers. Red Yeast Rice does keep my lipids in check, but my naturopath doesn’t just want to suppress the symptoms, she wants to cure it. She suggested the Fat Flush diet. But, I’m not sure I want to do that. I guess I’ll have to get the book first. From what I hear, it’s not much fun.

At this point, I’m not feeling any difference between the BTD and GTD. I’m probably ingesting enough toxins (i.e. the acetaminophen in the pain pills) that it may be a long time before I can get any benefits. I’m trying very hard to stay away from the black dot avoids. Most of them were staples during my BTD days. I am mostly proud that I was able to quit the coffee. It was avoid on BTD, but somehow I just couldn’t shake the habit. It took a change in diet.

I’ve been wanting to get a good blog out this past week, because I have lots to say. But, issues with my upper back have kept me from being at the computer for more than a few minutes at a time. Finally had MRI’s taken and saw a neurologist this week. Seems that there is quite a bit of degeneration of a couple cervical discs, causing nerve compression and pain in my shoulder and arm. The past six weeks have been pretty uncomfortable. Not much sleep. Anyway, he’s got me on prednisone, dalvane and hydrocodon for the moment, trying to get the inflammation and pain down. I have a couple nerve tests ordered in the next couple weeks, then another visit to the neurologist. I’m hoping it can be resolved without surgery. They recommended surgery two years ago and I’ve managed to escape it thus far. Ah…..we’ll see. The drugs help.

But taking drugs doesn’t help a bit while trying to convert to the Genotype Diet. And I have been one confused little puppy over which Genotype I REALLY fall under. I had several more measurings by outside sources. For about a week I decided that I was really a Gatherer, because one person had my lower legs longer than my upper legs. Even though the first person had the lower legs shorter than the upper legs. (Because of knowing my RH and secretor status, I have been able to skip some of the tests and use the advanced calculator in the back of the GTD book.) It was down to upper leg length determining between Explorer and Gatherer. It was interesting the week I was unsure. One day I’d eat Explorer beneficials, and the next day I would eat Gatherer beneficials. At least, knowing that turkey, lamb and grapefruit are on both lists, I was covered for breakfasts and lunches. And my beloved yogurt is off both lists, so you could say I was moving toward GTD compliance. And hubby was so excited about chicken being neutral for Explorer, we must have had it three times in the first two weeks! (He’s slowed down a bit now). Anyway, next time I saw my massage therapist we did the measurements word for word with the book. Even got a wooden chair so there would be no cushion factor in the measurements and we determined the upper legs were longer. Explorer.

I think I will still order the typing kit and check for strengths. (Maybe I’m not as sweet as I thought I was ). I think the big push will to get more sweat out of my exercise. I had definitely been a Gatherer in my BTD days as far as exercise. Golf, walking, pilates, yoga. Not a lot of sweat. As soon as I get my aforementioned physical problems addressed, I will work on the sweat. I can still do lower body pilates, and we have a recumbent stationary bike that I will work on for now.

Meanwhile, I think the prednisone has already put on a couple of pounds……..

It’s been tough waiting it out until the book got into my hands. We left for a short New Year’s trip to the California Desert. I could see that on December 27th, Amazon said my book was ‘Delivered’. Alas, it was in the hands of my mail-person. She kept it safe until it was delivered on January 3rd. What a mad couple of days trying to figure out which Genotype I am! I’m pretty confident on my measurements. I had my massage therapist do the height, torso and leg measurements yesterday, and my index fingers are definitely 1 or 2 centimeters longer than the ring fingers. And looking at the Advanced Calculators in the appendix of the book, it looks like except for one combination for Gatherer (of which my measurements are all opposite), I could be an Explorer……..or an Explorer!

I haven’t played much with the strength testing, I haven’t been able to do the fingerprinting yet. But those things I know, like Rh, body type, etc, still scores me as strong for Explorer. And I am very directionally challenged. I can’t find my way out of a paper bag sometimes. I’m allergic to most common antibiotics. And I love the buzz of caffeine.

I was so hoping to be a Nomad! I could live very happily on those food choices. In fact, I’d be in a virtual gustatory heaven! No such luck. There is no chance for a B- nonsecretor being admitted to Nomad-land.

Hubby has always been dismissive of BTD, and laughed when I showed him the GTD book and said “Look honey, a new diet!” He said some not so nice things about the good Doctor D, and we went on about our business. I must say he has been very good about cooking thinks for me according to BTD. He always buys lamb if he is having pork or chicken, etc. Well, when I told him that chicken was okay now, guess what we had for dinner last night? I’m a little leery of going whole hog on chicken, just because I haven’t eaten it for so long. But I didn’t have any noticeable ill effects.

Now, tonight he is cooking pot roast. I just don’t have the heart to tell him I have to lay off tomatoes and sweet potatoes for a few months. I’ll just eat around them. One thing I did decide to do was to finally give up coffee. I’ve been battling that demon the whole time on BTD. This morning it was a pot of green tea. Right now I’m sipping a licorice/peppermint tea. No headache yet. Might come tomorrow. I’ll get through it.

I’m still not ready to give up my bourbon yet. One big vice at a time.

Anyway, I’ll keep exploring (oh, bad pun!) this new diet. I still have a niggling feeling that I might be gatherer….but my torso is longer than my leg length and my lower leg is shorter than my upper leg. Ack! My destiny is set.

It’s been tough waiting it out until the book got into my hands. We left for a short New Year’s trip to the California Desert. I could see that on December 27th, Amazon said my book was ‘Delivered’. Alas, it was in the hands of my mail-person. She kept it safe until it was delivered on January 3rd. What a mad couple of days trying to figure out which Genotype I am! I’m pretty confident on my measurements. I had my massage therapist do the height, torso and leg measurements yesterday, and my index fingers are definitely 1 or 2 centimeters longer than the ring fingers. And looking at the Advanced Calculators in the appendix of the book, it looks like except for one combination for Gatherer (of which my measurements are all opposite), I could be an Explorer……..or an Explorer!

I haven’t played much with the strength testing, I haven’t been able to do the fingerprinting yet. But those things I know, like Rh, body type, etc, still scores me as strong for Explorer. And I am very directionally challenged. I can’t find my way out of a paper bag sometimes. I’m allergic to most common antibiotics. And I love the buzz of caffeine.

I was so hoping to be a Nomad! I could live very happily on those food choices. In fact, I’d be in a virtual gustatory heaven! No such luck. There is no chance for a B- nonsecretor being admitted to Nomad-land.

Hubby has always been dismissive of BTD, and laughed when I showed him the GTD book and said “Look honey, a new diet!” He said some not so nice things about the good Doctor D, and we went on about our business. I must say he has been very good about cooking thinks for me according to BTD. He always buys lamb if he is having pork or chicken, etc. Well, when I told him that chicken was okay now, guess what we had for dinner last night? I’m a little leery of going whole hog on chicken, just because I haven’t eaten it for so long. But I didn’t have any noticeable ill effects.

Now, tonight he is cooking pot roast. I just don’t have the heart to tell him I have to lay off tomatoes and sweet potatoes for a few months. I’ll just eat around them. One thing I did decide to do was to finally give up coffee. I’ve been battling that demon the whole time on BTD. This morning it was a pot of green tea. Right now I’m sipping a licorice/peppermint tea. No headache yet. Might come tomorrow. I’ll get through it.

I’m still not ready to give up my bourbon yet. One big vice at a time.

Anyway, I’ll keep exploring this new diet. I still have a niggling feeling that I might be gatherer….but my torso is longer than my leg length and my lower leg is shorter than my upper leg. Ack! My destiny is set.